A Word from Our President

HPAE addresses many issues at University Hospital on behalf of our members but first and foremost is staffing. While we know there is a major short staffing issue, it seems that UH has relied more and more on floating to staff the units. More specifically, our members should be aware of their rights when they schedule themselves for overtime. Our contract is extremely clear in Section 10.11 that members on overtime must be given float assignments before those that are regularly scheduled to work on the unit. Furthermore, you should be clear as well that the Nursing Office does not have the authority to guarantee that if you accept an overtime assignment that you will not have to float. Please be sure to read your contract as it explains this issue in detail and it can be found on www.hpae5089.org.

In addition, we must continue to ask our members to fill out the Unsafe Staffing Forms when they feel that their assignment is unsafe. It is imperative that you notify management of your objection and give them the opportunity to rectify the issue. Once the form is completed, please be sure to fax it to 201-262-4335 as well as to place a copy of the form in the assigned Unsafe Staffing book on your unit.

Since the start of the pandemic, HPAE has followed the recommendations of the CDC and has been holding many of our meetings virtually. Please be sure to sign up for meetings so that you can participate. You can visit www.hpae5089.org for more information on upcoming meetings. Also, you can find the most recent information related to your local Officers and Union reps on the site.

GREAT NEWS for APN and Case Managers:

HPAE has been working with UH to finalize the salary reviews that are in accordance with the 2018-2021 Agreement. As a result, certain members within these titles will receive an upcoming adjustment within the next few pay periods. Furthermore, they will also receive retroactive pay to the first pay period in 4/1/2020 to make them whole.

If you would like more information on any of the issues in this update, please feel free to contact your local union rep or email dbaker@hpae.org.

In solidarity,

Cynthia McDougall, RN
HPAE Local 5089 President